Were the Deuterocanonicals Ever a Part of the Jewish Canon of Scripture?

The biblical canonization process within Judaism is quite complicated. It is frequent for Protestant scholars to take Josephus’ use and list of Scriptures as representative of the basic canon of Pharisaic Judaism–which led to rabbinic, and eventually modern Judaism–arguing that the canonization process within Judaism predates the time of Jesus. Although the Council of Jamnia (or Yavneh) [end of the first century A.D.] is NOT likely the place where the Jewish biblical canon reaches its final form, that meeting did address the canonical status of certain books—Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs.1 Scholars remain divided about the closing of the Jewish biblical canon. In my opinion, it seems likely that it is even later that the canon becomes more fixed within Judaism.

What complicates matters further is that different groups within Second Temple Judaism apparently considered different books canonical. Although the biblical books used by the Pharisees is likely identical to Josephus’, which looks like the Old Testament of most Protestants, and, it should be noted, the Hebrew Bible (Tanak) of the majority of contemporary Judaism, this is not for certain. Sadducees, on the other hand, had a much smaller list of biblical books (only including the Penateuch, according to New Testament evidence). It is difficult to determine what canon was in

Sirach from the Cairo Genizah

use among the Jews at Qumran—where Esther has not been discovered but Tobit and Sirach from the deuterocanon have been found (in Aramaic and Hebrew no less)—but it appears they likely considered some of their own community’s texts as canonical.2 The question of canon at such an early stage, however, is complicated by the fact that we are not even sure what a canon would mean at that point within Judaism. Would they have understood those texts as divinely revealed, as inspired? And what would inspiration mean for them? Would there have been a canon-within-a-canon? These questions remain unresolved.

We do know, however, that certain Jewish communities did in fact use the Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Bible, and that they included the deuterocanonicals as Scripture. Although far from certain, the Book of Sirach appears to have been according canonical status among some of the early rabbis (more on this in a future post). A recent discovery of medieval manuscripts from the Cairo Genizah has shown that Jews in the medieval period in Africa, and throughout the Byzantine Empire, continued to use the LXX (more on this in a future post). To this day, Ethiopian Jews use the LXX as their Bible, including the deuterocanonicals. Some Jews in antiquity used, and some Jews today continue to include the deuterocanonicals in their Scripture. More on this in future posts.

50 thoughts on “Were the Deuterocanonicals Ever a Part of the Jewish Canon of Scripture?”

Excellent post, Jeff. I’m not very familiar with divergent Jewish canons, so this is helpful.

It’s fascinating and frightening how a lack of established authority leads different groups into their own ghettos of isolation as to what Scriptures they’re being molded by. This lack of visible unity in the canon is a partial illustration (of course some of the disunity is due to historical accident) of how sin fragments the family of God from the moment Adam and Eve denied God’s Fatherhood in Eden.

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Jeff Morrow is Associate Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He also serves as a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Jeff earned his Ph.D. (2007) in Theology at the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, in the program on the U.S. Catholic Experience, where he focused on historical theology and the history of biblical exegesis. He earned his M.A. (2003) in Theological Studies, with a focus on Biblical Studies, also at the University of Dayton. He earned his B.A. (2001) at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where he double majored in Comparative Religion and Classical Greek, and minored in Jewish Studies.

Jeff originally comes from a Jewish background; he attended Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah. In 1997 he became an evangelical Protestant and was heavily involved with para-church ministry as an undergraduate student. He entered the Catholic Church, Easter Vigil 1999.

Jeff is a popular speaker who speaks regularly at parishes and schools, as well as at larger events. He has made popular presentations at the Applied Biblical Studies and the Defending the Faith Conferences at Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as with the Coming Home Network International. He has also published in popular periodicals including This Rock, The Catholic Answer and New Oxford Review.

Jeff's scholarly work is primarily in the history of biblical interpretation, but he has also presented academic papers, and published scholarly articles, on a variety of topics related to theology, religion and the Bible. He has published scholarly works in academic journals including International Journal of Systematic Theology, New Blackfriars, Pro Ecclesia, and Toronto Journal of Theology. He has also made scholarly presentations before a number of learned societies, including the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the American Catholic Historical Association, and the College Theology Society.

He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Maria (who has a Ph.D. in Theology, specializing in Moral Theology, also from the University of Dayton) and their five children Maia, Eva, Patrick, Robert, and John.

Caritas et Veritas’s own Dr. Biff Rocha recently appeared on EWTN show, “The Journey Home,” hosted by Marcus Grodi. Biff shared the moving story of his return to the Catholic Church, and his journey of faith.

Dr. Michael Barber interviewed Dr. Jeff Morrow on The Sacred Page radio show for a Catholic radio station. The interview pertained to his conversion to Catholicism and also his research on the political roots of modern biblical criticism.

In this final part of our series on Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker’s, Politicizing the Bible: The Roots of Historical Criticism and the Secularization of Scripture 1300-1700, we take a look at their conclusion (pp. 543-566). The final pages of their book clarify a few points already brought up in the volume, but also chart new territory […]

In this 13th installment of our series on Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker’s, Politicizing the Bible: The Roots of Historical Criticism and the Secularization of Scripture 1300-1700, we turn to take a look at the authors’ twelfth chapter, “Revolution, Radicals, Republicans, and John Toland” (pp. 487-541), which shows conclusively how so many of the skeptical […]

Very recently I got my free electronic copy of Brandon Vogt’s newest book, The Saints’ Favorite Books, and I must say, this is a deal you don’t want to miss! It’s short, but well worth the read, and it’s available for a limited time free here.

Brandon walks through many significant Saints, and Popes, throughout Christian history, and he shares what their favorite book was (or, in some instances, where they don’t say what their favorite book was, he makes a good case for which was one of their top books). He also provides links where you can acquire the books yourselves. This is a great way to start a great reading list, following the lead of the Saints and Popes. I highly recommend getting your free copy now.

From the same author/blogger as Theologian Mom, comes a relatively new but increasingly popular blog called Parenting Mortification. This is a very useful blog for any parent, or anyone giving spiritual guidance to parents, on how to embrace, creatively and fruitfully, the many little and big crosses that come our way naturally as parents, and turning them into spiritual means of nourishment—-turning them into prayer (as mortifications), thus growing closer to God through them, and helping others with them. She advertises the blog as, “Parenting spirituality for Catholic moms and dads…who sometimes find it hard.” There’s some great stuff here, and especially helpful for Lent. We are pleased to include this blog among our Friends.

Here’s a blog of interest to keep an eye on: Theologian Mom, accessible by clinking on that link or at: http://theologianmom.com/. The blogger/author is a stay at home mother with a Ph.D. in Theology. She posts on her family life, on theology, theological and spiritual texts, theological and spiritual issues as they relate to current events and especially marriage and family life. As she writes at the top of her blog: “‘You will be a better mom because you are a theologian, and a better theologian because you are a mom.’ Is it true? In this blog, I explore the interplay and intersection of motherhood and theologianhood.” Enjoy.